CNN
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Since the launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the summer, the new three-digit number has seen a significant increase in calls – diverting more than 2 million calls, texts and chats to the call center, most of which were answered on short notice minute.
“The average response time in 2021 is about 3 minutes. By December 2022, it’s now 44 seconds,” said Dr. John Palmieri, senior medical advisor for substance abuse at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Mental Health Services Administration, who serves as deputy 988. director.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, formerly the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, launched last July, converting the former 1-800-273-TALK phone number to 988 with three digits. The new numbers are designed to be easy to remember, similar to how people dial 911 for medical emergencies.
Since that transition, some 2.1 million calls, text messages and chats to the new 988 number have been diverted to response centers in the past six months, about 89 percent of them, according to a CNN analysis. Data from SAMHSA overseeing 988 is received by consultant. Many unanswered calls are due to callers hanging up before reaching a counselor.
“We know there are many people in this country who are struggling with suicide, mental health or substance abuse issues, and they don’t get the care they need. In many ways, historically, because of funding constraints or other constraints, the system has kept them Disappointed,” Palmieri said. “So this is really an opportunity for 988 — as a catalytic moment — to transform the crisis care system to better meet these needs in a way that is less restrictive, more person-centred, more treatment- and recovery-oriented.”
Since 988 went live in the summer, there have been more than 300,000 calls, texts and chats per month. SAMHSA data on New Lifelines shows that in December 2022 there will be 48% more calls received, 263% more chats answered and 1,445% more text messages answered in December 2022 compared to December 2021.
“We view the increase in numbers as an indicator that more people are aware of the service and able to access it,” Vibrant Emotional Health’s CEO and president Kimberly Williams said in an email on Thursday.
She added that Vibrant was “not surprised” by the increase in numbers and had been responding “strategically” with the more than 200 call centers in the 988 network.
“December 2022 saw over 172,000 more contacts as part of the Lifeline system compared to December 2021,” Palmieri said.
The average time a counselor spends talking, chatting, or texting with a contact is approximately 21 minutes and 55 seconds.
“It was really eye-opening to see an increase in incoming texts, chats and calls. But to see more states have a response rate of over 90% to contacts from their state – and the average response rate is down, So people can get help sooner,” said Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
She added that before 988 was rolled out, there were probably many people who sought mental health support but felt there was no phone service available to them.
“With the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, it’s billed as the ‘National Suicide Prevention Lifeline,’ even though they do address a range of crises.” So a lot of people who aren’t suicidal but are struggling don’t feel like it’s a good thing for them is a resource,” Wesolowski said.
“I think the awareness of 988 continues to grow every month,” she said. “This country is generally in the midst of a mental health crisis. I believe there are many more people who feel they are approaching or in crisis.”
988 Lifeline has also been working with Project Trevor to test a pilot program specifically for the LGBTQ+ community, in which calls, texts or chats from LGBTQ+ youth have the option to connect with a counselor who has been specifically trained in LGBTQ-inclusive crisis care services .
The pilot program began around the end of September, and “the service has seen a lot of demand and usage,” Palmieri said. LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk of suicide, he added.
“Through this pilot, it’s really important that young people, especially who feel lonely, isolated, are able to connect with people who they feel can share their experiences and come from a similar understanding,” Wesolowski said. That’s what the data showed at the end of the pilot, but I’m very encouraged by the conversations I’ve had with Trevor Project and others involved.”
Since opening, 988 Lifeline has also increased the number of call centers that take Spanish-language calls from three to seven. Spanish-language options for text and chat messages will also be added, Palmieri said.
“We’re also implementing video telephony capabilities for people who are deaf and hard of hearing,” he said. In addition, Washington state currently has a pilot program that provides skilled nursing services for American Indian/Alaska Natives to be able to connect to a more focused organization of their needs. ”
HHS announced in December that, through SAMHSA, it had disbursed more than $130 million in grants to support 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifelines. Funding comes from the bipartisan Safe Communities Act. According to SAMHSA, the federal spending omnibus bill includes approximately $500 million for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
In total, the Biden administration has spent nearly $1 billion on the 988 lifeline.
“Our nation faces an unprecedented mental health and substance abuse crisis among people of all ages and backgrounds,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in an announcement last month.
“While rates of depression and anxiety were on the rise before the pandemic, these problems have been exacerbated by the grief, trauma, and physical and social isolation that many have experienced during the pandemic. Deaths from drug overdoses are also at an all-time high , with a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities,” he said. “The substantial additional funding provided by the bipartisan Safer Communities Act will have an immediate positive impact on strengthening the behavioral health of individuals and communities across the country.”
988 Lifeline is just one tool in an ongoing effort to improve our nation’s mental health, which Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, called “a critical public health issue” right now.
“It’s also one of the root causes of substance abuse and misuse, which is fueling our national epidemic. Of course, we’re also concerned about suicide rates and what we can do to mitigate and bring those rates down,” Freeman said.
“It’s also a major public health crisis of concern and leads to many other public health problems that need to be addressed: homelessness, food insecurity, substance abuse and poor health,” she said. “We need to put people in good health and connect them with the right resources and professionals to help them overcome the mental health crisis.”
